Trinco sanitary workers demonstrate for land rights

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 July 2004, 15:52 GMT]Sanitary workers employed by the Trincomalee Urban Council (UC) Wednesday
held a five-hour demonstration in front of the UC office demanding that
they should be provided with deeds and permits for the lands they are living in for
more than half a century. More than five hundred people, men and women
including family members of the workers, participated in the protest
demonstration, which was organized by the Community Leaders' Consortium (CLC).

The demonstration began Wednesday morning around nine a.m. and concluded at
about 1 p.m. Vanni district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan participated in the protest.

The sanitation work in the Trincomalee town came to a standstill following
the demonstration, UC sources said.

Women workers participating in the protest

Health workers residing in the areas of Kasthurinagar, Ghandinagar, Nagarajah
Valavu, Manaiyaveli, Poompuhar, Palaiootu east, Chelvanayakapuram and
Uthayapuri west participated in the protest.

Health workers are living on
state and urban council lands since 1942 and all are Tamils.

CLC in a statement said that it has brought to the notice of the related
civil authorities and parliamentarians the urgent need of handing over
deeds and permits for lands to health workers. However, relevant authorities have not
taken any steps to fulfill their demand. As a last resort the Consortium
has decided to launch the protest campaign, the statement said.